Break Even
by CrazyBeCat
Summary: Fairy Queen. Tinkerbell and Regina just can't get a break. They have so much between them, and Tink decides it's time to talk. For mini-fic prompt from Tumblr based on my Top 25 played Itunes songs.


Fairy Queen #12- Breakeven (Falling To Pieces); The Script

Regina watched from a distance as the others all crowded around the fire. Tinkerbell had at first been rejected, but even sniveling Snow couldn't deny that they needed the lost fairy alive… and so they allowed her to silently join them by the fire. But Snow was not as friendly to Regina, even if Emma had welcomed her to join as well.

She scowled, and curled her arms around herself just a little tighter, trying to shield herself from the chill of the evening, and to push away the feelings that were running through her head.

"You okay, Regina?" The gentle voice snapped Regina out of her thoughts, and she dragged her eyes up to see Tink standing just before her.

Nodding, she swallowed before answering, "I'm just fine, thank you."

Tink opened her mouth once… twice… then snapped it shut before settling down beside Regina, "I'm sorry."

Regina refused to look at the other, not wanting to put her heart through that pain, "What?"

"I said that I am sorry," Tink sighed beside her, scooting just a little closer.

Regina shifted just slightly away, "For what, may I ask, are you apologizing for?"

"For everything, Regina. For what happened to you before I met you. For what happened when I knew you, and for what happened… after… after I was gone. I was just another person who added a break in your heart. Then I became angry with you, and blamed you for so many years. I lost my wings, but I… I was so angry that I didn't realize what I had taken from you as well."

"I don't-"

Tink scoffed, "I am not blind, Regina. I was not then, either, though I guess it may have seemed otherwise. What we had? Oh, Regina, it was beautiful. The anger you had, the revenge you so desperately needed, it was all you had, and I gave you hope. I gave you a small sliver of possibility, but you could hide it behind the anger, and still be… mildly happy. You had a friend, in me, Regina. You had… you had someone who loved you. You weren't alone. You had someone who despite your anger, could have helped you fight the darkness."

Regina kept her face turned away from the other woman, refusing to let her see the tears streaking down her cheeks, "Is there a point to this, fairy?" She tried to sound disinterested.

"I pawned you off onto somebody else. You loved me in the way that you could, and what we had was beautiful… and… I got scared. So instead of enjoying what we had together, I tried to help by giving you your soul mate. Regina, I'm sorry I broke your heart, and I'm sorry that I didn't realize sooner that we could have had something beautiful together. We could have gone away together, and we could have been happy. But instead I used a little magic, and sent you on your way… hoping that that would be enough. I was so hurt to see that man begin to glow and shimmer. I had desperately wanted for a miracle to happen, and for my own body to light up. Only, when I didn't, I decided to let you go. I didn't think of how that would have affected you. I didn't think for once how you would only shatter more."

A quiet sob escaped from Regina's lips at the words, as she recalled how she had been happy with the fairy. She recalled the feelings of love she'd had for the other, though the feelings held no candle to her love for Daniel, she had not been able to ignore them. She had not been able to snuff the little streaks of happiness the joyful fairy had brought into her life, "Why… why are you doing this?" She whispered, "Why must you bring about so much pain between us? Why must we hurt each other so?"

"Because I'm sorry, Regina. I'm sorry for everything. I'm sorry for both of us."

Regina didn't jerk away as she felt Tinkerbell move closer, and stifled a sob as she spoke again, "I wasn't just afraid, I wasn't just afraid of not knowing what I would be without my anger. I was angry with you, for leaving me. I thought I had found someone who would be good for me, as a friend, as a partner, as a lover who treated me right. I was never able to break even. I was always angry about something. As I stood there, not knowing what to do to, I was angry with you, I was angry with myself, I was angry with the man who was my supposed soul mate… I couldn't feel anything but anger. I didn't know how to let it go, I hardly knew what happiness was… except that I felt something that wasn't anger when we spent time together. When we were wrapped up together, I felt something akin to contentment, and I wasn't as angry. Only, when you walked away from me, I was angry. I was angry with you, and I was angry with me… for allowing myself to become weak, and not realizing it. I picked revenge, over hope. I chose to remain angry instead of try and find happiness with the man from the bar."

Tinkerbell's hand reached out to cover her own, as she spoke softly, "What do you want now, Regina? What do you chose now?"

"I want my son, Tink. I want my son back, my beautiful boy. Oh, Tink, he's the best thing I ever did. He's so bright, so full of wonder. I need my son back, Tink. I chose my son, Tink. I chose my son, and I will do anything to get him back. No matter what he thinks of me, I will never stop loving him."

"Then I will stand at your side, and fight to get him back too," Tinkerbell said as she rested her chin against Regina's shoulder.

Regina reached up and wiped away her tears before turning to face the fairy, "Why?"

Tinkerbell smiled, and brushed her thumb against Regina's tearstained cheek, "Because, Regina, I'm not going to be afraid this time. I love you."

A smile tugged at Regina's lips as a sob broke through her lips, "I- I love you."

Regina allowed her eyes to flutter closed as Tinkerbell leaned forward to press their lips together. She felt something burst through her, and she listened to it, just as she had when she decided to adopt Henry.

She could love, she could be loved, and there was hope.


End file.
